Monthly Archives: May 2012

I was in our local ‘big-box’ store earlier today and was kinda surprised at what I learned. I was walking through the Men’s clothing section when I kept hearing the strangest sound . . . it sounded like ‘Geiger counter’ . . . you know, the rapid clicking sound that we’ve all heard on the TV shows . . . I kept hearing that sound and looking to see from where it was coming and there appeared a clerk with one of those little ‘price-checking’ hand held devices. The lady clerk would simply hold the device in front of a rack of items and it would begin to rattle off like a tommy gun . . . and then slowly stop like popcorn winding down to the last few kernels. I asked her about the device and this is what she told me.

Many of the items in the store have little ‘code markers’ either on or in the article. All the jeans that I saw had a little ‘epc’ mark on the corner of the tag . . . ‘epc’ – electronic product code;. She told me that the ‘tag’ was on some items and already ‘in’ others . . . such as the automotive tires . . . hmmm . . . anyway, she went on to explain to me that ‘they’ were planning to install a system in the ceiling that would automatically scan the entire inventory when ever needed . . . since eventually ALL the items in inventory would have the epc’s either on them or ‘IN’ them . . . it was the ‘in them’ that got my attention & peaked my curiosity . . . the truth is always stranger than fiction . . . blessings –

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Today is Memorial Day here in the US. A day when we remember and honor those who have served and given the ultimate for this nation and all that it once stood for. Today is also another “Memorial Day ‘, the day of Pentecost or Shavuot in the hebrew. It is a time when we remember the fact that GOD remembered HIS promise to HIS friend Abraham ( James 2:23. 2Chron 20:7, Isa 41:8 ) and built HIS house by taking HIS bride Israel. I was also taught that the ‘church’ was birthed at Pentecost in Acts 2. That is only partly true. The ‘church’ WAS born at Pentecost, but NOT in Acts 2 . . . she was birthed into her fullness when GOD took her as HIS bride ( Exo 6:7 ) at the 1st Pentecost (Shavuot) which took place at Sinai ( Exodus 19, 20, 21, Acts 7:20, 38 ) . The similarities between the two events are uncanny, but then GOD is like no other . . .tongues, fire, seeing voices, mixed multitudes all hearing in their own language, 3,000 lost and 3,000 restored . . . the list goes on and on . . .

But on this Memorial Day, let us be sure and remember the ONE who remembered the Promise made . . . a promise sealed . . . and promise kept . . . fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua.. Pentecost or Shavuot ( literally ‘sevens’ ) is all about the keeping of a promise. The word ‘shavuot’ is the plural of the hebrew ‘sheva’ – seven. And it comes from a root word ‘shava’ which means to ‘swear or take an oath’ . . .At ‘Shavuot’ – seven sevens – GOD our Father remembered and sealed HIS promise that was made and that would be fulfilled . . .and the time of that ultimate fulfillment is much closer than most realize. Are you ready for the things that MUST take place . . . the things that ARE coming on this land and upon all the earth ? The time to get prepared is NOW . . . HOW ? we will talk of that next time . . . Blessings –

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By the way – ‘A, B, or E’ stands for Assyria, Babylon or Egypt, in case you are wondering . . .

Now, let’s cut to the chase on this concept, and then we can go back and answer any questions or disagreements. First, let’s acknowledge that there IS a physical geographic Babylon and that ‘geography’ is not the subject here. Even Jerusalem is referred to as ‘Egypt and Sodom’ ( Rev 11:8) in the last days, so apparently we are dealing with spiritual issues and not geographic ones per say. IF, ‘Babylon’ is a world-wide ‘system’, then how does that play into what is happening on the world scene currently ? Imagine for a moment that ‘everything is NOT about us, the US . . . we are NOT as important as we think we are. China, Russia and others have already begun to ‘trade’ among themselves without us and our almighty dollar . . . how dare they . . .anyway . . . we are becoming more and more dispensable all the time. But, if the current ‘world-wide system’ goes down, then truly all the merchants of the world will weep . . . ( Rev 18:11 ) So, if we see the current ‘babylonian’ system fall and take many with it, then there will be a need for a ‘saviour’ . . . enter the anti-christ . . . the psuedo-saviour, the counterfeit messiah – with a new plan and system to ‘save the day’ . . . a system that appears to solve all the problems . . . but appearances can be deceptive . . .

You see, a ‘one world government’ is not a new concept. GOD ALMIGHTY established the first ‘one-world government’ – HIS . . . then Nimrod comes along with a counterfeit ‘one world system’ . . . and please remember that Babel and Assyria are the ‘seed’ of Nimrod . . .that’s another blog . . .

What if the ‘system’ that we currently have ( that pervades virtually everything everywhere . . . it’s even in the churches ) crumbles like the ‘tower’ and then the counterfeit messiah steps up with a new and better ‘tower’ . . . AND then the TRUE Messiah comes along and RESTORES . . . HE puts things RIGHT by putting things back like they were in the beginning . . . the one true ‘one world government and system’ . . . the Kingdom of our God . . . Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:BUT until the TRUE system is brought into place by the TRUE Messiah, we WILL have to deal with the counterfeit . . . the ‘birth-pangs’ are NOT going to be a ‘walk in the park . . .’ Are you prepared for the things that are coming on this land and on the earth ? And I must say this . . . If you are being ‘taught’ prophetic end-time concepts from a traditional perspective, then, for you, the answer to that question is probably ‘NO’ . . .The time has come to ‘lead, follow, or get out of the way . . .’

Blessings to you and yours as we enter this ‘Biblical holiday season . . . the memorial day of Pentecost.

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There is much discussion on all fronts concerning the global economic and political situation and how our own national ‘mess’ is connected and how all of this plays into ‘end time prophecy’ . . . Alot of what is discussed and taught hinges on the precept that the US is ‘babylon in the last days’ . . . We are not convinced of the accuracy of that premise and here, over the next few posts ( however long that takes 🙂 ) we hope to give some thoughts for you to ponder.

Let’s begin with the statement ‘ the US is not babylon of end-time prophecy. The US is a prophetic picture of Egypt in the last days’. Yes, we know that there is already an ‘egypt’ that exists today. This is not about ‘geographic Egypt’ . There is also a ‘geographic babylon’ . This is part of the ‘mystery’ of babylon in the last days. IT is everywhere and nowhere It is a ‘system’ and not just a ‘place’. ‘IT’ pervades every aspect of everthing everywhere. You cannot put your finger on any one spot and say ‘ this is babylon’ and yet anything you touch today ( even in the church . . . yes, that includes ‘messianic-ism ) is connected to ‘babylon’ and there is NO where on the planet that is NOT connected to this system. Of course, I know that there are many that will think ‘ so . . . what does that have to do with me . . . what’s the big deal . . . I’m gonna be raptured out’a here . . . I’m a christian, a believer . . .’ Others might be thinking ‘ Yes, the US IS babylon . . . we need to leave here and go somewhere else . . . it will be safer somewhere else . . .

First, let us ALWAYS remember – the ONLY true shelter is in the shadow of the Almighty, Psalm 91:1 . . . But aren’t we supposed to ‘prepare’ for those things that the Word tells us are coming ? YES . . . A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty.( Prov. 27:12) And If you believe that ‘preparation’ displays a ‘lack of faith’, bring that up with Noah or Joseph the next time you meet them. And you could meet them both sooner than later if you are not prepared for those things that are coming on the earth and your ‘preparation’ is not squarely based under the ‘shadow of the Almighty’. So are we saying that we need to ‘prepare’ AND trust God ? . . . YES . . .for they are ‘hand and glove’ . . . ‘faith without works’ . . Ok, back on track . . .

The US and babylon . . . Isaiah, Jeremiah and the Book of the Revelation speak of ‘coming up out of her’ . . . well, the ‘her’ is Babylon. Who ‘went into’ Babylon ? Judah. But if I’m not of Judah then how can that apply to me ? And another thought . . . IF the US is babylon and we are commanded to ‘come up out of her’ , then what about the ‘believers’ in China or New Guinea,etc., etc. ? Does it not apply to them ? If the US is Babel, then the believers in Costa Rica don’t have to ‘come out’ . . . those passages ONLY apply to those of us that are in the US ? You mean that everything is not about ‘us’ ? Sorry, that doesn’t pass muster . . .

On the next post we will look at the ‘world system’ and the global economic disaster that is looming and explore how that could possibly show us a picture of ‘babylon’ and some enlightenment on what is coming. BTW – Egypt was never in Babel, but Babel WAS in Egypt . . . Until then -Shalom U’Vrachot ( peace & blessings ) –

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We talk many times about how Yeshua kept the Torah and was tempted in all ways but without sin. One of the ways that HE walked according to the ways of our Father was in the way that he taught and portrayed honor to His mother. ” Honor your Mother and Father that your days may be long in the land . . . the only commandment with a promise . . .” ( Exo 20:12, Eph 6:2 ) Even as He hung between heaven and earth, He portrayed honor, love and compassion for His earthly Mother. ( John 19:26 )

As we honor our mothers this sunday we also look forward in two weeks to the celebration of The Feast of Weeks, Shavuot ( Pentecost ) . Have you ever considered that, as Fathers, we get our ‘fathering attributes’ from our heavenly Father, and Mothers receive their ‘mothering instincts’ from our heavenly Father as well. But I find it interesting that not only is Ruach ( Holy Spirit ) a separate yet inseparable part of the ‘God-head’, the hebrew word for Spirit – ruach – is a feminine-gendered word.

Yeshua told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the ‘promise of the Father ‘ ; until they were endued with power from above. I always thought that the Messiah was the ‘promise of the Father ? But Peter gives us some insight with his statement in Acts chapter 2. “This is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel . . .” And that which was spoken was a ‘promise from the Father’ . . . We find that the promise is two-fold. And the time period from the fulfillment of one ( Passover ) to the giving of the other ( Pentecost ) is 50 days . . . 50 . . . Jubilee . . . the period of Restoration and the picture of Renewal. Three thousand died at Sinai because of disobedience and idolatry ( Spiritual Adultery . . . there’s that word ‘spirit’ again ) Three thousand were added to the Kingdom in Acts chapter 2 at Pentecost. This is a picture of judgement for sin yet ultimate grace that brings about ‘restoration’ . . .

As we honor our Mothers, we not only walk in obedience to our Father’s instructions, but we actually honor the Father that gave our mothers to us by obeying His instructions.

” Honor your Father and your Mother, that your days may long in the land . . .” ” . . .the only commandment with a promise . . .” Chag Sameach . . . Happy Mother’s Day . . . Shalom

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Matthew 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath through the grainfields, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.

Matthew 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Behold, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”

Matthew 12:3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions;

Matthew 12:4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests only . . .

Matthew 12:5 “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath, and are innocent?

Matthew 12:7 “But if you had known what this means,

‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Two laws are being referenced here…man’s law and God’s Law . . .They had elevated man’s law above God’s Law and, today, in mainstream denominational settings, most are ignorant of God’s Law so we establish and adhere to our own system. . . The Scripture says – For all Israel does what is ‘right’ in their own eyes’ . . .and we continue to this very day.

In Matt 12:7 Yeshua sends them to read Hosea 6:6 . . .

Why did He send the inhabitants of the Southern Kingdom to read a prophecy that was given to the northern kingdom ? Because Judah was ‘disobeying’ in the same manner that caused Ephraim ( the nothern kingdom) to be sent into dispersion . . . the same for Adam when he was put out of the garden . . . and Judah was on the fast-track to being put out of the land ( 70 AD ) , just as had happened to the northern kingdom.

Matthew 23:23a“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and 1cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Notice, at no time does Yeshua tell them not to keep the Law ( Torah ) or that it no longer applies. ( Matt 5: 17-20 )

Instead, He admonishes them to keep God’s Law ( Torah ), instead of man’s law, showing that mercy / compassion is the underlying foundation of Torah . . .

( Love your neighbor as yourself – Lev 19:18 )

Man’s law says that picking fruit off the tree ( or from the grainfield ) on Sabbath is forbidden. . .

But God’s Law says that ‘If you are going through the field and are hungry, pick and eat ( mercy/compassion – the weighter part of the Law ) .

Man’s law says it is forbidden for a jew to enter the house of a gentile.

God’s Lawsays that Israel shall be a light to bring the nations in and that God’s House will be a house of prayer for all peoples . . .

The pharisees stated that He was breaking the ‘law’, but according to Deut 23:25 He was not. He was actually following what the Word ( Law – Torah ) states .

They, the Pharisees, were the ones ‘breaking’ the Law by ‘adding to . . .’ ( Deut 12:32 ) and not extending mercy and not allowing mercy to be extended, thus putting heavy burdens on the people . . . burdens that were never part of God’s instructions. Of course the religious system of today is on the other end of that verse . . . not only do we ‘add to’but we are experts at the ‘taking from’ part. . .

Paul, in Romans, says that because they did not comprehend the ‘ways’ of God and the purpose for those ‘ways’, they proceeded to establish their own Laws. Shamefully, the religious system of today is woefully ignorant of God’s instructions and so we established our own set of instructions . . .not good. The ‘religious hierarchy’ of Yeshua’s day did the same and ‘we’ have not learned a thing from their mistakes . . .

As a rule, in the mainstream denominational setting, it is said that the ‘Law’ is all about ‘works’, but interestingly enough the Apostle Paul tells us that the Law is spiritual . . . hmmm.

And when we get to the point that we think we have learned something and perhaps have ‘arrived’ , just remember, we are dependent on the Root and not the other way around . . .

. . .hope you and yours have a great week. . .Shalom – J & R

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Here’s an additional thought or two concerning ‘The Woman at the Well’. “Samaria” or Shomron ( Hebrew) means ‘ watch mountain‘ and comes from the word ‘shamar’ which means to ‘keep, guard, to keep watch or to watch for’ . . . {By the way, this is the same word used by God in the garden when He told Adam to ‘keep’ ( shamar) the garden . . .}

The spiritual implication is the ‘samaritan woman’ ( john 4 ) was drinking water from the well of her father Jacob and was waiting – watching– for Messiah to come ( John 4:12,25)

Hosea 6:3 says “ . . .let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him, and surely as the sun rises He will appear, He will come to us like the winter rains and the like the spring rains that water the earth. . . .”

Yeshua in John 4:6 sat down ( appeared ) at the 6th hour by Jacob’s Well to offer her the ‘living water’ she had been watching for ( John 4:10,12) . . .

I find it interesting that He reveals Himself to the samaritan woman (Northern kingdom) at the 6th hour, He was declared “king of the Jews” ( the southern kingdom ) by Pilate in the 6th hour ( John 19:14) and Peter’s vision in Acts chapter 10 concerning the coming in of the nations also took place in the 6th hour.

But I’m sure that’s all just a coincidence . . . 🙂

And, we have in Acts 15:14-21 another example of the type and shadow in 2 Kings 17:27-28 of the nations coming into the land or ‘kingdom’ and having the need to be instructed in the ways of the Lord.

Funny how all of this just seems to go together . . .you might almost think it was intentional . . . 🙂 Blessings – Rhonda